Our Aunt is the Snow Queen
by Wolfstang 14
Summary: After falling in love with the movie "Frozen", I decided to write a story, set four years after the Great Thaw. Anna and Kristoff are married, and now Elsa has become an aunt. Arendelle's royal family just got a little bigger, and Elsa must adjust to two new additions in her life. Kristanna, possibly Elsa and an OC. We'll see. Frozen belongs to Disney, this story to me.
1. Twins

"_AHHHHGH!"_

"That's it Princess! Keep pushing just like that; the babe will be here soon enough!"

"ARGH!"

At her sister's cry, Elsa pressed her cool hand against her sister's sweaty brow, doing her best to smile encouragingly while at the same time desperately trying to keep the entire room from freezing over. It was early spring, four years after the Great Thaw, and Anna was delivering her first child. The fact that the baby was coming early was more than enough to push Elsa into creating a foot of snow in the bedroom- and that was the last thing anyone needed. Anna needed her big sister more than ever now, and after thirteen years of shutting her out, Elsa refused to leave, no matter what happened.

After a few more seconds of straining, Anna lay back with a groan, chest heaving and face beet-red. She turned to her older sister and flashed a weak grin, a much smaller version of the normal, all-teeth-showing-cheek-splitting huge Anna trademark grin.

"So… apparently having a child is really, _really _painful." Anna rasped.

"I've heard. I wish I could do something more for you Anna." Elsa replied, carefully laying her bare hands on both of Anna's cheeks, causing her to let out a relieved sigh.

"Oooh that feels so good right now. _That's _what helps. Everything is so warm, and not like Olaf's-warm-hugs-warm, more like… _Uhhh!_"The younger sister leaned forward abruptly, moaning as the midwife called encouragement from between her legs. Elsa wrapped an arm around her sister's back to support her, wishing once more that there was something, _anything _that she could actually do to alleviate the pain.

"There's the head. You're doing well Princess! Just a few more pushes, that's it!" The midwife's voice cut through Elsa's meandering thoughts, forcing her back the task on hand. She used her free hand to grasp Anna's, letting out a short yelp when that hand was squeezed so tightly Elsa was afraid it might have been broken. Anna let out a few more cries, and then suddenly, violently, Anna threw herself forward, a strange sound- somewhere between a scream and a roar- resonating from her throat. That's when a cry, so small and yet so shrill, cut through the air, followed seconds later by the midwife's excited yell of "It's a girl!"

For the second time, Anna threw herself back onto the pillows, but this time she was laughing, prompting Elsa to smile broadly, especially when the midwife placed the cleaned and swaddled infant in her sister's arms. Tears spilled from the mother and aunt as they looked into the eyes of the newborn.

"Oh Elsa, she's just so… _perfect!_" Anna croaked. Elsa had to agree. Wide blue eyes peered out of an impossibly small, freckled face, observing the two women with an expression of wonder. A wisp of strawberry-blonde hair curled from the little girl's forehead. The only thing that concerned Elsa was that the infant was a tiny thing, easily fitting in just one of Anna's arms. Just as Elsa was about to ask the midwife about the size, Anna cried out and laid her free hand on her stomach.

"Anna! What's…"Elsa started, but she was cut off by the midwife.

"There's a second baby on the way! You need to push again my lady!" The last sentence the midwife uttered fell on deaf ears. The Princess and the Queen could only process the first while staring at one another in complete shock.

_Twins! Anna's having twins! _That thought kept reverberating through Elsa's mind. Now everything made sense- how quickly Anna's belly had grown, the early birth and the small size of her niece- she was going to be an aunt to _two _children.

"My lady, you need to _push_!" The midwife's voice cut through Elsa's musings yet again, but this time Anna could only shake her head.

"I...I…can't…I can't…" Tears coursed down her cheeks as she pleadingly looked around. That was all Elsa needed to jump into action.

"Anna look at me." Elsa commanded in her most Queenly tone. She leaned forward and placed herself directly in her sister's line of sight. "You _can _do this, do you understand? You're the strongest, toughest, most amazing person that I know. I _will _be right here for you, and you will have your baby. I won't leave your side. Now, are you ready?" Anna sucked in a breath, and then nodded. She handed the baby girl over to the midwife's assistant, and looked towards Elsa once again. The Queen nodded calmly and picked up Anna's nearest hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. She got a much harder one in return as Anna gritted her teeth and bore down. Through every push, every curse, every bone-breaking squeeze, Elsa stayed firm. She spoke words of encouragement, sent soft gusts of air to cool Anna down, or simply laid a hand on her sister to let her know that all would be well.

Just when Elsa thought that Anna would not be able to make it any longer, her younger sister shot forward once again and _screamed. _Her scream was met by a brand-new cry, followed by the midwife's shout of "It's a boy!"

Anna's tears from before were nothing compared to the ones that rushed down her face as both her son and her daughter were placed in her trembling arms. Seeing Elsa leaning close, Anna smiled and shifted her arm so that her older sister could see her new nephew. Like his sister, the tiny boy had strawberry blonde hair, although his was lighter, and his eyes were a light brown, not blue.

Anna gave a soft sigh of contentment. "Look at them, Elsa, they're so beautiful! Look at his eyes- they're just like Kris… oh, Kristoff!" Anna's eyes widened as she suddenly remembered her absent husband. Kristoff, despite the deep and obvious love he had for his wife, had been so clearly nervous and panicked when Anna had experienced her beginning contractions that both sisters had eventually kicked him out of the room, knowing that he would probably end up fainting at some point. An unconscious ice harvester would make things much more difficult in the long run. Elsa snorted in a very un-queenly fashion, and then stood up, doing her best to subtly work out the kinks that had developed from sitting so long and started to the door. "Don't worry, I'll get him. Rest, we'll be back soon."

Elsa pushed the door to Anna room open as soundlessly as she could and found Arendelle's Ice Master with his back towards her, staring out the window to observe the dawn of a new day. For a few brief seconds, Elsa allowed her mind to drift to the citizens below, many of whom would be starting their day unaware of the newest members of the royal family. Well, they would be aware of them soon enough, but right now there was someone far more important who needed to know of the arrivals.

"Kristoff?"

The Ice Master turned so swiftly Elsa startled and unwittingly sent a brief burst of snowflakes shooting out of her fingers. She quickly composed herself and gave her brother-in-law a small smile before answering his unasked question.

"Anna is absolutely fine, just very tired. The babies are perfectly healthy."

Kristoff nodded, and then froze. "Wait, did you say _babies_!?" Elsa's smile grew. "Yes, I did. Congratulations Kristoff, you have a daughter and a son."

Kristoff stood stock-still for several long moments, then unexpectedly leapt into the air with an ecstatic shout. With no further ceremony, he raced to the door of Anna's room and went in. Elsa chuckled quietly and shook her head. Who knew that the reclusive and quiet ice harvester was capable of such explosive emotion? Nevertheless, Elsa was extremely glad to see that Kristoff's happiness at fatherhood.

The Snow Queen started past the now-open door, intending on passing by and giving the new family some privacy. She couldn't help but to peek in, and what she saw warmed her heart in a way few things could. The midwife and her assistants were gone from the room, leaving the parents alone in the room. Kristoff was now laying on the far side of the bed next to Anna. One of his arms was wrapped around her shoulders, and she was resting on his broad chest. Anna held the baby girl while Kristoff easily engulfed her tiny brother in his muscular arm. The two were clearly enthralled by the infants, and the heartfelt love emanating from the new parents caused icy tears of joy to flow down Elsa's cheeks. She sent them away with a mere movement of her fingers, and although she hated to leave the beautiful scene, she turned to leave. That's when she heard her name.

"Elsa? Come on back in here and greet your niece and nephew properly." Anna called.

"It's alright, Anna, I can see them later. You two should have some time alone with them." Elsa replied.

Anna frowned and straightened up, pulling away from Kristoff's chest. "Nuh-uh. This time is for family, and _you _are part of the family. Now get your icy butt in here before I do it for you." She started to swing a leg out of the bed and winced slightly, causing Kristoff to catch her arm and for Elsa to rush in.

"Whoa there fiestypants, you just had two kids! Elsa, please do what she says before she hurts herself." Kristoff grunted. Elsa sighed and relented, although secretly she was quite happy to see the newborns once again. Elsa settled back into the chair she had previously occupied (it was clear to everyone present that she was _not _happy to be in that position again) and looked down at the two new members of her family. Before she could say or do anything, Anna shifted and placed the little girl in her sister's arms, stating quite simply, "Elsa, meet your niece Ásta."

Elsa stiffened the moment she felt the slight weight placed in her arms. Old fears died hard, and although it had been four years since Elsa had struck Anna's heart, that same anxiety kept trying to worm its way through her soul.

However, in that instant, Ásta chose to raise a tiny hand towards her aunt's face. It fell short of its goal, but that single, innocent movement broke through Elsa's icy fears, melting them away. She reached down with her pinkie and immediately Ásta grabbed hold, her grip surprisingly strong and warm. In fact, _all _of Ásta was warm, apparently unaffected by Elsa's natural cold.

"Hello there little Ásta. I'm your Aunt Elsa." From there, words completely failed her, and, struck by some quiet urge, she leaned down to kiss Ásta's cheek. Her niece didn't flinch, didn't shiver, but rather snuggled closer in response to her aunt's affection.

At that moment, perhaps somehow sensing that his sister had become the center of attention, the little boy let out a short, sharp cry, squirming in his blanket. Elsa couldn't help but to laugh and returned Ásta to Anna's arms and taking her proffered nephew from Kristoff. "Meet Bergen," he rumbled quietly.

Unlike his calm and affectionate sister, Bergen was not content to merely lay still and bask in his aunt's love. Instead, he fussed and wriggled, forcing Elsa to continuously adjust her grip. Suddenly, an old, near-forgotten lullaby that her mother had once sung came to Elsa's mind as she stood and began to quietly sing, rocking Bergen in a soothing motion.

_Deep peace of the running wave to you_

_Deep peace of the flowing air to you_

_Deep peace of the quiet earth to you_

_Deep peace of the shining stars to you_

_Deep peace of the gentle night to you_

_Moon and stars pour their healing light on you. _

Still singing, Elsa noticed Bergen's eyelids begin to droop. She held him close, noticing that much like his sister, he remained warm even in Elsa's embrace. Like she did for Ásta, Elsa kissed Bergen's cheek before bringing him over to her chair and sat down once again, carefully pulling the chair closer to the bed. Without a word, Anna passed Ásta over to Elsa so that she could hold both twins. As she pulled them close, her heart close to bursting love, Elsa finished her lullaby.

_Deep peace to you…_

As the babies drifted off to sleep, Elsa turned to her sister and brother-in-law, tears streaming down her face. After 17 years of isolation and self-loathing, the new additions to Elsa's world were almost most too much. However, she knew deep down that no matter how things went from that day, no matter what she had to face, her family had grown, and she would grow with it.


	2. First Year

**Whew, this was a long one!**

* * *

_Twins: 11 months_

Most children would love to have the chance to have a sentient, goofy snowman as a playmate and babysitter, but Ásta was the rare exception. While she loved Olaf and his presence always made her smile, the naturally quiet baby was often overwhelmed by the hyperactive snowman, especially when Olaf was paired with the equally active Bergen. Even at the young age of not-quite-a-year-old Ásta showed remarkable calm.

So it was on a bright spring day that Ásta broke away unnoticed by her brother and Olaf (not that it was _that _difficult) and began a steady crawl towards a much more peaceful destination. Ásta came up to a door that was cracked open enough to add a beam of sunlight to the already sunny hallway. The door itself was beautiful, its white background broken up by blues, greens and purples of various and beautiful hues that created exquisite snowflakes and spirals that conjured thoughts of wintery scenes. Of course, the door held absolutely no interest to Ásta, rather it was what, or more specifically, _who _was inside that gained her attention.

The little girl pushed the door open enough to wiggle through, then looked at the room's other occupant and gave a happy gurgle. The person she was focused on turned with a smile.

"Ásta, what are you doing here, my little snow star? Did you need a break from Olaf and your brother, sweetheart?" Elsa crooned, scooping her niece up. Ásta giggled and tugged at her aunt's braid, poking at the silver ornamental snowflakes her aunt occasionally kept in there, causing Elsa's smile to expand. "Would you like one of your own?"

The Snow Queen waved a finger and an oversized snowflake materialized, swirling around Ásta's face. The little girl clapped and shrieked with laughter, her blue eyes dancing as she watched the snowflake's meandering path. The twins had been made aware of Elsa's powers since they were a mere week old, and Ásta in particular held a fascination with the ice and snow her aunt could create. Ásta reached her hands up to touch the snowflake and Elsa gave another twirl of her fingers, allowing the flake to land neatly in her niece's upstretched palms. Ásta giggled and flung her hands up and down, sending the snowflake flying once more. Once more Elsa set the flake in a dance around her niece's head, a chuckle beginning in her throat as the little girl's giggles grew.

After a few more minutes of playing with the enchanted snow, Ásta suddenly gave a huge yawn. She blinked rapidly a few times and then shifted so that her head was nestled in the crook of her aunt's neck. One hand lightly gripped the neckline of Elsa's navy-blue dress, while the fingers of her other hand lazily played with strands from her aunt's braid.

Elsa froze where she stood, her mouth parted slightly in amazement. While Ásta was certainly not one to object to being held or hugged, and often would initiate contact, she hadn't done anything like that before with her aunt. Of course, Elsa knew it was likely that Ásta simply found the position to be comforting and safe that allowed her to remain close to a person she loved, but for her aunt, the experience was incredibly profound. For a woman who had been denied basic physical contact for much of thirteen years, a woman whose powers had been so uncontrollable that she dared not even go with bare hands, the trusting embrace of her baby niece was more than enough to bring tears to her eyes. Elsa sank into a nearby chair and ran a trembling hand through the few silken wisps of strawberry-blonde hair that adorned her niece's head. Ásta sighed in response, tucking her head closer to Elsa's neck, her breath warm against the queen's skin.

Eventually Elsa sank into her desk chair and held her niece close, humming a wordless lullaby. For several wonderful minutes the two family members enjoyed their embrace, relishing the comfort each provided. Just as Elsa was beginning to drift off, she heard a familiar chuckle and opened an eye to see Anna leaning on the door frame, her eyes dancing with amusement and a broad grin spread across her face.

"What are you smiling at Anna?" Elsa asked, raising an eyebrow. Anna's only response was to widen her grin. "_What_?" Elsa demanded while attempting to fight an answering grin that was stubbornly spreading across her own face. Anna pushed off of the door and walked up to her sister and daughter.

"_You_, that's what. I'm smiling at you. It's good to see you this happy." The princess reached over and squeezed her older sister's free shoulder. "You really deserve this kind of happiness, you know. And of course, the twins are incredibly lucky to have you for an aunt, just like I'm incredibly lucky to have you as my sister." Elsa turned her head, doing her best to hide the tears pricking her eyes at her sister's words. How many times had Anna needed to remind her of this, needed to tell her that she was loved?

"The feeling is mutual, you know," the queen whispered. At that moment, Ásta stirred from her spot at Elsa's neck and began to fuss, reaching her tiny hands towards her mother, her mouth working hungrily. Anna reached out and lifted her daughter into her own arms, commenting, "Looks like this little girl's hungry." The princess walked over to a rocking chair near the room's fireplace and pulled a blanket off the back, draping it around her daughter and herself (both had been placed there shortly after the twins' birth for Anna's use). Once Ásta was settled in and nursing comfortably, her mother leaned back in the chair with a quiet sigh, lazily rocking the chair with a single foot.

With her niece now with her mother, Elsa had no excuse not to return to her paperwork, loathsome as the activity now appeared. Nevertheless, she was much, _much _happier with two members of the family were present. For a while, the two sisters sat in companionable silence, the only sounds coming from the steady ticking of the grandfather clock, the scratching of Elsa's quill and Ásta's nursing. It was something both Anna and Elsa enjoyed- moments when they could just _be _together-moments that had never happened for thirteen long and painful years. It was the primary reason for the rocking chair and nursing blanket being present in Elsa's study.

It was only after Elsa stood to grab a ledger for one of her trade documents that she noticed her sister had fallen fast asleep. The queen gave a crooked half-smile at the sight- Anna with her head thrown back, mouth wide open and snoring lightly. She would have gladly let Anna continue sleeping if she hadn't noticed to wiggle, signaling that Ásta either needed to be switched or she had finished. With a soft sigh, Elsa shook her sister's shoulder, startling her awake.

"Huh? Wha- Oh, are you done, sweetie?" Anna asked as she peered under the blanket. A few moments and some shifting later, and Ásta re-appeared from under the covering, looking quite content and sleepy. She gave a huge yawn that was echoed by her mother. Her aunt frowned.

"Anna, are you absolutely sure you don't want to hire a nannie or at least a wet nur…"

"No!" Anna's response made Elsa jerk back in surprise. Seeing her sister's abashed face, the princess gave a soft smile as she arranged a burp cloth over her shoulder and began burping her daughter. "I'm sorry Elsa it's just that I've heard that from a lot of people recently. Ásta and Bergen are _my _babies. I wouldn't ever feel right passing that off to another woman, no matter how much easier it would be. I…" here she paused, biting her lip before forging on. "I _promised _myself and the twins the moment they were born that I would be there for them, _no matter what._" Anna's gaze drifted for a moment, and although she didn't say anything, Elsa knew from the way she had said her words that she was thinking about their own parents and more specifically the choices the former monarchs had made regarding their daughters. Elsa very much suspected that Anna still held something deep and painful against the past King and Queen for their decision to sequester their oldest daughter from her own sister as well as for teaching Elsa to conceal and _fear _her powers, ultimate creating the disaster before the Great Thaw.

Shaking the gloomy thoughts from her mind, the queen quietly made her way over to the chair and wrapped her sister in hug, maneuvering herself carefully so that she wasn't suffocating her niece.

"You are an absolutely _amazing _mother Anna, and don't you dare forget that." Elsa whispered into the woman's ear. "Ásta and Bergen both know that too." Anna gave a soft chuckle in response before freeing a hand to wrap around her older sister's shoulders. The moment was quite poignant, right up until Ásta let out a loud gurgling burp and Elsa felt something warm and wet spread all over her hands. The queen immediately pulled back, observing the milky fluid on her hands with a startled (and slightly disgusted) expression. Her younger sister, biting her lip and breathing in short, staccato breaths, pulled the burp cloth off of her shoulder and passed it over.

"Don't. Laugh." Elsa growled through gritted teeth as she began furiously wiping her fingers and palms with the fabric. The princess's breathing turned into short, sharp snorts as she ducked her head, trying desperately not to burst out in merriment at her sister's predicament. Eventually it became just too much to hold in and the young mother burst out into a round of hearty guffaws, all the while doing her best to dodge the snowflakes sent in her way by the queen. Ásta joined in with her own high-pitched giggles, causing a smile to tug at the corners of her aunt's mouth. Eventually her family's hilarity became too infections for the platinum-haired sister to resist and Elsa, realizing the humor in the situation, joined in with her own soft musical chuckle while half-hazardly throwing the now-frozen cloth at the princess's head.

It might not have been the "queenliest" thing to have done, but at that exact moment, Elsa couldn't have cared less.

She wasn't a queen at that moment.

She was the luckiest sister and aunt in the entire world.

_Twins: 1 year _

"No, Master Bergen, those are _not _toys!" The young Bjorgman twin gave a disgruntled grunt of protest as he was unceremoniously scooped up by a slightly red-faced Kai and set down where the tantalizing (and quite delicate) wall hangings were far out reach. The young boy had been on his way to find his sister or Olaf for some much-needed fun when he had come across the brand new green-and-purple hangings thrown over the back of a nearby chair. Ever curious about anything new, and especially intrigued by the golden cords that hung from the bottoms of each one, Bergen had started to make his way up the chair when he was caught by Kai. The chamberlain gave an exasperated sigh as he put the young boy down and gathered up the hangings, muttering about lazy servants who thought it was a good idea to place expensive things within the reach of destructive year-old children.

His fun removed, the youngster plopped down on his backside and blew out an impressive raspberry (a trick taught to him by his mother) and looked around. It was the day before the twin's first birthday and a few days after the spring equinox. In the now-typical post-Great Thaw fashion of Arendelle, a large celebration was being planned for both events. It was meant to be a mostly-day event, with some dancing at night, as the twins were far too young to be up too late. It didn't matter- much of the public had yet to see the twins in person and this, combined with the renewing spring, had meant that the royal sisters were going all out for the celebration.

Finding nothing within the immediate vicinity to alleviate his boredom, Bergen dropped onto his hands and knees and began a steady crawl towards the main hall to continue his search for a playmate. He had only gone about ten feet when a familiar voice immediately caught his attention.

"… I will leave the final preparations and inspections for tomorrow to you and Kai, Gerda. By now I believe Anna will have burned through most of her outlandish ideas, so you should _hopefully _be safe." A wry chuckle followed those words. "In any case, if she gives you any trouble, just inform her that she will have to answer to _me _for any crazy designs. That should put an end to most of her plans." The sound of footsteps grew until a pair, Elsa and Gerda, turned the corner and came across the young boy. At the sight of her nephew, a smile formed on the queen's face as Bergen reached his hands out towards his aunt, demanding to be picked up. She happily obliged, gathering him into a wonderfully warm hug.

"How are you doing, sweetie? It's almost your birthday, are you excited?" Elsa asked as she brought Bergen's face close to her own. He chortled and brushed a tiny hand across the faint scattering of freckles on her cheeks. The queen chuckled and planted a swift kiss on her nephew's nose before transferring him to her hip for easier carrying. She continued her way down the main hallway as Bergen bounced gleefully, always happy to go someplace with his aunt.

Elsa continued into the Great Hall, which had been transformed from a normally empty and dark room to a wondrous homage to the new season. Along with the new wall hangings (which were being hung under Kai's careful supervision), the room was decked with a mix of real and cloth flowers arranged in sprays, bouquets and wreaths. Arendelle's new crest- a crocus flower on top of a stylized snowflake. The room's windows had all been thrown wide open, allowing bright sunlight and a warm, fresh breeze to come through.

Maneuvering her way gracefully around the rows of tables and chairs, Elsa inspected everything as she passed, made small talk with the servants, and expertly kept Bergen from destroying anything.

As the pair reached the end of the room, they were met by a small grey flurry and a cheerful, "Hi Elsa! Hi Bergen!" Olaf waddled out from behind a table, his big, buck-toothed grin nearly brighter than the sunlight streaming through the windows. He had somehow gotten hold of one of the floral wreaths and had placed it on his head, its leaves and flowers beginning to droop in the constant snowflakes and cold air that surrounded the snowman's body. As soon as Bergen heard his friend's voice, he reached out with both hands, chattering in a series of nonsensical sounds. Elsa knelt down to the snowman's level.

"Hello Olaf. Where did you get your wreath?" she asked.

"Oh, Hanne gave it to me. She was finishing some of the wreaths by the windows, and I asked if I could have one and she said yes! It's like my own personal crown with _flowers!_ It doesn't seem to like my flurry though." Olaf's smile fell. Elsa chuckled softly and reached out, touching her pointer finger to one of the flower petals. With a soft crackle, ice began to spread around the leaves, flowers and branches, transforming the drooping decoration into a more cold-friendly ice sculpture. Olaf gasped, pulling the "crown" off his head and twirling around with it.

"Oooooh, I love it, I love it, I love it! Thankyouthankyouthankyou Elsa! It's just _perfect_!" The little snowman re-set the wreath on his head and wrapped his twig arms around Elsa's leg in a hug. The queen's smile grew and she bent down to embrace the happy creature.

Eventually Olaf pulled away and looked up at Bergen. "Hey, Berg, wanna go to the garden? If that's okay, Elsa." His query was answered with a nod as the queen set her nephew down, knowing that she still had much to do for the celebration and Olaf, despite his childish nature was actually an excellent babysitter. Not only was he immensely fun for all children, but he had a knack of keeping the twins from harm. Her smile widened as she watched the odd pair toddle off- one a crawling near-one-year-old boy, the other a waddling animated snowman waving his stick arms in excitement. If it were up to her, she would have gone with them, but queenly duties called- she had a celebration to prepare for.

…..

The morning of the birthday/spring celebration dawned on Arendelle with a promise of a gorgeous day. The castle and surrounding city practically exploded with activity and excitement as the citizens finished their chores and breakfasts in a hurry, eager to be finished so that they could attend the festivities. Down at the docks, men were hard at work, tying down ships, directing dignitaries and unloading their cargo. The spring celebration was not only a time for festivities, but a time for Arendelle to strengthen its relations with other lands as well as to open up new lines with kingdoms not yet in contact with the small country.

Inside the castle's central plaza below the castle's great balcony, a great crowd of both locals and foreigners alike were gathering. Dozens of language could be heard emanating from the mass of people. The prominent language, of course, was the Arendelle Norwegian dialect, but English, Spanish, French, German, Swedish, Danish, Finnish, Polish and many more could be heard as well. The excited citizens and travelers discussed the royal family, the upcoming celebrations and what events they thought might happen throughout the day while their eyes were fixed firmly on the ornate double doors behind the balcony's railing. The clock tower hushed all conversations as it pealed nine times, signaling the great doors to creak open.

Kai stepped out, cleared his throat and in his best announcing voice, called out, "Ladies and gentleman, I present to you the royal family of Arendelle! Her Majesty, Queen Elsa, her Majesty's sister Princess Anna, Lord Kristoff, husband of Princess Anna and their two children, Master Bergman and Mistress Ásta." The chamberlain stepped aside, bowing with a flourish and waving his hand as the royal family stepped into view. This prompted the crowd to break into a roar of approval, cheering and clapping with heavy enthusiasm. The adults of the group waved smiled, while the twins yelped simultaneously at the startling noise and buried their faces in their parents' chests. Elsa, sensing that it would not be long before one or both just lost it, raised her hand for quiet. Within seconds, the plaza was almost completely silent.

"Dear citizens and esteemed guested, first and foremost I wish to thank you for joining us not only to celebrate the coming of spring but the first birthday of my niece and nephew." Here more cheering and clapping erupted, dying down once more when the queen lifted her hand. "The day's events and their times are being posted around the castle grounds as well as around the city. And so, without further ado, welcome one and all to the Spring Festival!" With a flourish of her hands, Elsa sent ice cascading all around the castle, accenting the non-floral decorations with glittering ice. It was a more subtle display of her powers, meant only to highlight rather than be the central focus point, and it was met with another roar of delight from the crowd. She nodded to and Kristoff, both of whom stepped forward and perfect unison cried out, "Let the festivities begin!"

And what festivities they were! While the royal family couldn't possibly visit everything and everyone, they were able to witness in marvelous games and shows. There was a magician that appeared to read the minds of his audience, an acting troupe that preformed a comedy that had everyone gasping and holding their sides with laughter, exotic animals, skilled crafts –men and –women, singers, dancers and a great many more. Even Elsa's powers made an occasional appearance through ice sculptures, bursts of snow, frost art and even a miniature skating rink.

After getting over their initial trepidation at the crowds and noise, Bergen and Ásta quickly became enthralled with nearly everything- from the interesting people, to the bright decorations, to the incredible variety of food. (The two royal sisters were quick to hook the two on their favorite food- chocolates.) By the time evening rolled around, the twins had been so overwhelmed that they were fast asleep by the time the dance began. After the Elsa had once more made a speech to those in attendance and the first few dances had been completed, Anna and Kristoff walked up to the queen.

"Elsa, I think these two have had their fill of partying for the day. Would you like to say goodnight?" Anna asked quietly. Her sister nodded and called Kai over, letting him know that she would be absent for a time. Kristoff offered Bergen to her and she accepted happily, rocking her nephew gently as she followed the parents to the residential wing.

When Ásta and Bergen were securely tucked into their respective cribs, Elsa laid a hand on their heads, feeling a tear trickle down her cheek. Anna came over and rested a hand on her sister's shoulder.

"Are you alright, Elsa?" Her older sister quickly wiped the stray tear away.

"Yes, yes, I'm fine, I'm just… I'm just still trying to comprehend that they're already one. It feels like just yesterday I was holding them for the first time." Anna smiled, pulling her sister close and wiping a tear of her own.

"I know." Anna didn't say anything else for a while, and then she began to sing in her clear, sweet voice, singing a familiar tune.

_Deep peace…_

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**Like I said, long and fluffy!**

**Please review!**

**Yeah, sure you becha!**


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